3:59 p.m. - It was a tumultuous beginning to 2005 for the Lincoln City Council.

Council member Sharon Bisch stunned the council when she announced her resignation, waiting until it was her turn for portfolio reports, among the last items on the agenda Thursday.

"I resign," Bisch told the council. "I'm done … can't do it anymore. I'm tired of fighting city hall and I'm going to leave." Without any further explanation, Bisch got up from her chair and left the room.

"Are we going to need that in writing?" a council member ventured.

"I'm pretty sure we all know where this is going, so I don't think so," replied acting council chair Karen Daley, who was sitting in for an absent mayor Glenn Christmann. "But I suppose we should have a motion to accept the resignation."

The motion was approved unanimously and the council proceeded with its remaining agenda. The council later decided to advertise the position, which can be appointed to fill the remainder of Bisch's term, unless a community petition calls for a special election. Daley noted that an appointment is a far less expensive way to fill the spot than having an election.

Bisch was appointed to the council in 2000 and won election in 2002. Her term expires in June 2006.

Council member Kathy Schneibel brought up the need for a full-time city administrator, which would mean eliminating the part-time position presently in place. The administrator would be in charge of Lincoln's six employees and act as economic development director.

"It's a new year and I think it's time we had a full-time city administrator," Schneibel said. "I'd like to get the ball rolling and advertise the position. It would be open to the person who now fills the part-time position and the general public."

Terry Fasteen, who heads Lincoln's Planning and Zoning Commission, asked how much the council is willing to pay and whether there is money in the budget for the position.

"I'd recommend you look at it for a month before coming to any decision," he said.

Scheibel handed out a list of qualifications she recommended candidates meet and suggested a starting salary of $11.50 an hour with a 50-cent raise after a trial period. Fasteen said such a salary probably wouldn't interest many candidates with experience or a college degree.

A motion was made and approved to advertise the position with the idea of seeing what type of candidates it would draw, with no obligation to hire anyone.

In other business, the Lincoln City Council:

n Approved a resolution to request the North Dakota Department of Transportation consider rerouting Lincoln Road, taking out the big curve in the road which connects Bismarck to Lincoln. According to the council's Ricky Fischer, a traffic count shows that more than 4,000 cars a day go around that curve. At a suggested cost of 37 cents a mile per vehicle, it costs $555,000 a year for vehicles to drive that extra mile.

n Approved a resolution directing the assessment committee to meet and create a special assessment for Water Improvement District No. 2004.1. Total cost for the water transmission line is $447,000. Bisch advised the council to tell residents the process is under way and public hearings will be held.

n Heard that the planning and zoning commission is considering methods to increase the city's control over property development in the near vicinity. One way, according to planning and zoning chair Fasteen, would be to annex in more than 600 acres of property immediately adjacent to the city limits. Another is to extend the city's extraterritorial zoning, but this can only be done with the cooperation of the city of Bismarck.

"We need to ensure we have a measure of control of what is being developed," Fasteen said. "Annexation would increase our tax revenue a little bit, but it will also cost money to set up."

(Reach reporter Gordon Weixel at 250-8255 or gordon.weixel@bismarcktribune.com.)